Executive Briefings

Study Tracks Digital Influence on In-store Purchases

By: Multichannel Merchant 05.01.2014

Digital interactions influence 36 cents of every dollar spent in the retail store, or approximately $1.1tr, according to the latest study from Deloitte Digital. By the end of 2014, that number will climb to 50 percent, or $1.5tr of total store sales.

The study, “The New Digital Divide,” is first-of-its-kind research that quantifies the extent to which consumers’ use of desktop and laptop computers, tablets and smartphones influences brick-and-mortar store sales.

“Mobile and online transactions represent only a sliver of total retail revenue potential,” said Kasey Lobaugh, principal, Deloitte Consulting LLP and Deloitte Digital’s chief retail innovation officer. “Retailers that narrowly focus on digital commerce — rather than the full journey that leads to a purchase — often fail to recognize how their customers shop and make decisions in the store. The result is a digital divide between what consumers do and what retailers deliver. This gap not only threatens overall revenue, but requires retailers to reset the way they measure and invest in digital efforts.”

The study, “The New Digital Divide,” is first-of-its-kind research that quantifies the extent to which consumers’ use of desktop and laptop computers, tablets and smartphones influences brick-and-mortar store sales.

“Mobile and online transactions represent only a sliver of total retail revenue potential,” said Kasey Lobaugh, principal, Deloitte Consulting LLP and Deloitte Digital’s chief retail innovation officer. “Retailers that narrowly focus on digital commerce — rather than the full journey that leads to a purchase — often fail to recognize how their customers shop and make decisions in the store. The result is a digital divide between what consumers do and what retailers deliver. This gap not only threatens overall revenue, but requires retailers to reset the way they measure and invest in digital efforts.”